SAE Members: David and Carol Smith
Our members are interesting people, and they do amazing things. Each edition we ask one of our intrepid members to tell us about themselves and what they are doing in South America. This month, we cornered David and Carol who were found relaxing at the Buenos Aires clubhouse.
Name: David and Carol Smith
Nationality: Canadian
Extra Info: Both retired - currently cruising on land and sea
Where were you before you arrived in Buenos Aires? We left West Coast Canada in 2005 on our sailboat, taking her through the US, Mexico, Central America, Costa Rica and Panama to Bahia Caraquez in Ecuador. Since 2007, we have toured on land in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Colombia with short visits to Chile.
Why are in you in Buenos Aires? We made this our first stop in Argentina as we wanted to see the capital and also to store a bag full of boat parts at South American Explorers while we travel in Argentina. David also wanted to go to a football game and we did manage to see the Argentina/Peru World Cup qualifying match!
What are you planning to do during your stay? We’re going to try to see some of the museums, art galleries and exhibits in Buenos Aires – and some of the great restaurants!
Where is the best place you have travelled in South America so far? This is a very difficult question as all of the countries have been wonderful. We really enjoyed Bolivia, especially our tour of Salar de Uyuni, and an independent hiking trip in the rugged and untouched country near Sucre. Other highlights were trekking the Colca Canyon in Peru and the Quilatoa volcano in Ecuador. We found Colombia extremely welcoming to foreigners and, surprisingly, Bogota is one of our favourite capitals. Whilst studying Spanish, we’ve also made friends with nationals in Mexico, Ecuador and Peru.
What are you looking forward to most about your time in South America? We’re looking forward to touring some of the least visited countries, like Venezuela and Paraguay as well as seeing more of Argentina and Chile –
especially in the Patagonia region. Amazonia is also a must…so much to do!
What has been the most memorable moment so far (either for good or bad reasons)? There are many maritime moments we could share, but on land… the incomparable Machu Picchu and the indigenous women and their children, who were so beautiful and so shy, is something we’ll never forget.
How did you hear about South American Explorers? We heard about SAE while seeing a presentation by fellow sailors and SAE members in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador. It became apparent that SAE was a great resource for long term travellers, such as us, and we haven’t been disappointed.
What positive effects have South American Explorers had on your time in South America so far? SAE has given us the tools to evaluate and choose destinations, hostels and restaurants as well as allowing us to utilize the expertise, books and maps for travel within all South American countries.
Finally, why do you make the time to travel? Why is it important to you?
We are sailors and we began planning our global sailing adventure about 10 years before we left Canada in 2005. That process entailed working on our boat to make it seaworthy, as well as preparing ourselves mentally and financially for long term travel. We have been travellers all of our lives – we met each other while backpacking in Europe in 1972 and also spent a few years working in the Middle East in the 1980s, so we are no strangers to the joys and frustrations of travelling and living in different cultures. Travel has always broadened our perspective and allowed us to see the world through others’ eyes. We would encourage people of all ages to make travel a priority if at all possible.
Interviewed by SAE reporter Tracey Chandler.
Category: SAE Spotlight
